Frazer Campbell scored a stunning opener and loan signing Wayne Bridge made his debut as Sunderland comprehensively thrashed Norwich City 3-0 at the Stadium of Light.
Black Cats boss Martin O’Neill made three changes from the side that drew with Middlesborough in the FA Cup at the weekend for this Barclays Premier League clash, with Campbell, Michael Turner and Jack Colback replacing Conor Wickham, Wes Brown and David Vaughan in the starting line-up and new loan signing Wayne Bridge on the bench.
The home side started well and threatened after just four minutes when Campbell got his head to a teasing James McClean cross which Norwich keeper Andrew Ruddy did well to palm away. Moments later Larsson dragged a shot wide from the edge of the area after a neat pass from Sessegnon. Holt then went close at the other end, but the ball was scrambled cleared by a desperate Black Cats defence.
Sunderland looked the hungrier of the two teams and it was no surprise when they went ahead on 21 minutes. McClean beat two players with a Le Tissier-like flick out on the left and squared for Campbell who flicked it up beautifully with his first touch before sending a sensational volley high past Ruddy from 20 yards.
Sessgnon made it 2-0 to the hosts with a great header on 28 minutes. Breaking from midfield, he nutmegged Bradley Johnson before laying it off to Campbell wide on the right. The ex-Manchester United man delivered a great cross which Sessegnon met 10 yards out with a fine header beyond Ruddy into the bottom corner.
Norwich looked shellshocked and struggled to retain possession as Sunderland continued to dominate. Gardner forced a good stop from Ruddy at the start of the second period. Sessegnon won the ball in midfield and released Larsson on the right who threaded the ball through for Gardner to meet first time with a low shot on the turn which the Norwich stopper did well to turn away for a corner.
But Sunderland put the result beyond doubt on 54 minutes when Ayala turned a driven Bardsley cross into his own goal. It was almost 4-0 a couple of minutes later, but neither Campbell nor McClean could make contact with a Larsson pull back which rolled agonisingly across goal.
With the points secure for the home side, the pace of the game dropped significantly in the last half hour and, although Norwich struggled on bravely, they failed to trouble Mignolet in the Sunderland goal.